Bag support assembly

ABSTRACT

A bag support assembly for use in connection with packaging equipment wherein is provided a laterally extending member projecting outwardly in a horizontal plane from a table intended to receive smaller packages, the member having a plurality of Lshaped arms thereon, provided with protective rubber sleeves, which arms receive the upper marginal edge of one sidewall of a larger bag within which the smaller packages are to be deposited, the user of the device supporting the opposite sidewall of the bag whereby to present an open top for the bag.

United States Patent Robinson 1 BAG SUPPORT ASSEMBLY [72] Inventor: Allan B. Robinson, Overland Park,

Kans.

[73] Assignee: Mobil Oil Corporation [22] Filed: April 8, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 132,298

[52] US. Cl ..53/390, 248/100 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65b 67/12 [58] Field of Search ..53/390, 384, 187, 188, 189; 248/95, 99, 100

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 511,156 12/1893 Newton 248/100 X 906,794 12/1908 Hall ..248/100 X 3,269,430 8/1966 Belk ..53/384 X 1,580,163 4/1926 Peterson et a1. ..248/100 X 3,621,629 11/1971 Wickersheim ..53/187 X 2,918,771 12/1959 Wickliff ..53/189 3,495,378 2/1970 Kipers ..53/188 [451 Oct. 17,1972

3,439,891 4/1969 Pinto ..248/100 3,175,793 3/1965 Kennedy ..248/99 854,077 5/1907 Cronholm ..248/ l 00 380,543 4/1888 Allen ..248/100 Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Horace M. Culver AttorneyAndrew L. Gabariault and Oswald G. Hayes [57] ABSTRACT A bag support assembly for use in connection with packaging equipment wherein is provided a laterally extending member projecting outwardly in a horizontal plane from a table intended to receive smaller packages, the member having a plurality of L-shaped arms thereon, provided with protective rubber sleeves, which arms receive the upper marginal edge of one sidewall of a larger bag within which the smaller packages are to be deposited, the user of the device supporting the opposite sidewall of the bag whereby to present an open top for the bag.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDum n 1912 INVENTOR. A/Mn 5. Rob/0.50"

. j 7 Z W 5% BAG SUPPORT ASSEMBLY It is the most important object of this invention to provide a bag support assembly for use in connection with packaging equipment wherein a plurality of smaller units, such as bags of packaged material, are to be deposited, for final packaging, in a larger receptacle such as, for instance, a plastic bag, the assembly presenting means whereby the larger receptacle or bag can be easily held in an open condition by a single user with the sides thereof spread apart to present an open top for ready reception of the smaller units.

It is a yet further aim of this invention to provide, in connection with a package collecting table or the like, a laterally extending member which has a pair of outwardly extending L-shaped arms on each side thereof, the arms each having a first stretch which is in a horizontal plane, and a second stretch in a vertical plane spaced from the wall of the member, whereby the upper marginal edge of one sidewall of the larger bag may be hooked over a pair of spaced-apart arms to thereby support said sidewall, the user of the assembly manually supporting the opposite sidewall whereby the bag may be presented in an open condition for reception of the smaller units.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a collecting table having a plurality of bag-supporting assemblies thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view showing a single bag-supporting assembly; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the main member and one of the arms which extends outwardly therefrom.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration, the bag support assembly 10 is shown in conjunction with a rotating article collecting table, although it will be readily appreciated that the assembly l hereinafter described can be used in conjunction with any type of packaging equipment wherein it is desirable to place a number of smaller packages or units in a larger bag and thus the requirement is present that the top of the larger bag being held open during insertion of the smaller units therein.

In order to accomplish such a result the bag support assembly includes a main member 14 which is secured to the fixed frame 16 of the table 12 by suitable means such as welding or the like, whereby the member 14 is maintained in a rigid condition extending outwardly from the table 12 in a horizontal plane and at a comfortable working height. In theembodiment illustrated, the main member 14 takes the form of a tubular metal member having opposed sidewalls l8 and 20, a top wall 22 and a bottom wall 24. It will be appreciated that, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a plurality of members such as 14, may be positioned about the collecting table 12 whereby to present a number of working stations.

Each member 14 has secured to one sidewall 18 thereof, for instance, a pair of spaced-apart arms 26, the arms 26 each presenting a first, normally horizontal stretch 28 and a second, normally vertical stretch 30 extending upwardly from stretch 28 and being spaced from the sidewall 18 of the member 14 whereby to present an opening 32 between the stretch 30 and the outer face of sidewall 18 of the member 14.

For protective purposes, the stretches 30 of arms 26 are provided with a sleeve 34 of suitable resilient material, such as rubber or the like, the sleeve encompassing, in telescoped relationship, all of the stretch 30 of arm 26, the upper face 36 of the sleeve 34 being in a horizontal plane spaced above the upper tip end 38 of stretch 30 for purposes which will hereinafter become apparent.

As noted, the main member 14 is provided on each side thereof with a pair of spaced-apart arms 26 so that both sides of the member 14 may be utilized for the operation hereinafter described, the provision of arms 26 on each side of the member 14 presenting, in effect, two work stations at each of the outwardly extending members 14.

When the bag support assembly 10 is to be used, a receptacle in the nature of a bag 40 is opened by the user thereof, and the sidewalls 42 and 44 spread apart as illustrated, for instance, in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The upper marginal edge of sidewall 44, indicated at 46, is then drawn essentially taut whereby to span the distance between the spaced-apart arms 26, the marginal edge 46 of the bag 40 then being hooked over the spaced-apart arms in the specific manner shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, all to the end that the bag will be supported at spaced-apart points on sidewall 44 by the arms 26.

The user of the bag then grasps the upper marginal edge 48 of sidewall 42 and opens the bag by pulling on said edge 48 against the holding action of the arms 26 whereby to present an open top 50 for the bag 40 thereby permitting the insertion into bag 40 of smaller packages such as illustrated, for instance, at 52 in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration shows a packaging operation wherein a plurality of small sacks 52 of potatoes are delivered onto the rotatable collecting table 12 by a conveyor such as 54, the table 12 rotating about a central axis 56 and thereby delivering the sacks 52 to the various radially positioned work stations presented by the bag support assemblies 10 which'are spaced about the collecting table 12.

The users of the assembly, as the table 12 is rotated, will lift the small sacks 52 therefrom and deposit a given number thereof into the larger bag 40. Once the bag 40 is filled, it can be easily lifted from the arms 26, closed and moved on in the packaging operation.

It is to be noted that plastic bags are commonly used in packaging operations such as hereinabove described, and the provision of sleeves 34, which extend above the arm 26 and particularly the tip end 38 thereof, will prevent ripping or tearing of the bags 40 when they are hooked over the arms 26 and as the same become heavier due to being filled with the smaller units 52.

Thus there is provided a bag support assembly which is usable by a single individual and eliminates the necessity of two persons holding a bag such as 40, in a condition where the top thereof is open, the arms 26 performing such function and enabling a single individual to operate a given packaging station as described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for packing piece goods, such as potatoes packed in smaller bags or similar articles, into larger bags or similar articles capable of holding a plurality of such smaller bags; which apparatus comprises a relatively stationary central support assembly; a rotatable table means disposed over said central support assembly unimpeded by said central support assembly with respect to rotation thereof; a plurality of relatively stationary radially disposed rod support means attached to said central support assembly and extending therefrom a distance which is sufficient to permit their radial protrusion past the periphery of said rotatable table means; at least one pair of spaced apart L-shaped arms attached to one side of each of said radial rod support means from one and thereof respectively, and extending from such radial rod support means in such position that the unattached end thereof is upwardly directed toward the plane of said rotatable table means, and means to rotate said table means relative to said central support and radial rod support means.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unattached end of said L-shaped arms are spaced from said radial rod support means.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including one pair of said L-shaped arms respectively on opposite sides of each of said radial rod support means.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including larger bags or similar articles suspended in part from each of said pair of L-shaped arms.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including resilient material surrounding said upwardly directed ends of said L-shaped arms.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including feeding means operatively associated with said table means adapted to deposit said smaller bags or similar articles thereon.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said upwardly directed ends of said L-shaped arms have substantially vertical axes and are surrounded by resilient material; whereas the ends of said L-shaped arms attached to said radial rod support means have substantially horizontal axes normal to the axis of the radial rod support means to which it is attached; wherein at least one pair of said L-shaped spaced apart arms project normal to and away from opposite sides of each of said radial rod support means; and including means for transferring said smaller bags or similar articles from said rotating table means to stationary larger bags or similar articles partially suspended from said L- shaped arms. 

1. An apparatus for packing piece goods, such as potatoes packed in smaller bags or similar articles, into larger bags or similar articles capable of holding a pluralIty of such smaller bags; which apparatus comprises a relatively stationary central support assembly; a rotatable table means disposed over said central support assembly unimpeded by said central support assembly with respect to rotation thereof; a plurality of relatively stationary radially disposed rod support means attached to said central support assembly and extending therefrom a distance which is sufficient to permit their radial protrusion past the periphery of said rotatable table means; at least one pair of spaced apart L-shaped arms attached to one side of each of said radial rod support means from one and thereof respectively, and extending from such radial rod support means in such position that the unattached end thereof is upwardly directed toward the plane of said rotatable table means; and means to rotate said table means relative to said central support and radial rod support means.
 2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the unattached end of said L-shaped arms are spaced from said radial rod support means.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including one pair of said L-shaped arms respectively on opposite sides of each of said radial rod support means.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including larger bags or similar articles suspended in part from each of said pair of L-shaped arms.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including resilient material surrounding said upwardly directed ends of said L-shaped arms.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including feeding means operatively associated with said table means adapted to deposit said smaller bags or similar articles thereon.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said upwardly directed ends of said L-shaped arms have substantially vertical axes and are surrounded by resilient material; whereas the ends of said L-shaped arms attached to said radial rod support means have substantially horizontal axes normal to the axis of the radial rod support means to which it is attached; wherein at least one pair of said L-shaped spaced apart arms project normal to and away from opposite sides of each of said radial rod support means; and including means for transferring said smaller bags or similar articles from said rotating table means to stationary larger bags or similar articles partially suspended from said L-shaped arms. 